Toolbox

Category:Fermented beverages

Despite the varying names given to them, all fermented beverages (and many fermented foods) come from the same roots and share many of the same characteristics. This article discusses the varieties of fermented beverages and the differences between them.

When we speak about fermentation, alcoholic beverages like beer and wine come to mind first. These beverages are all created by essentially the same process; a sugar solution is created, then infected with one or more strains of yeast or bacteria which consume some of the sugar and convert it to alcohol.

Alcoholic beverages are usually called by one of several names based on the source of the sugar in the initial sugar solution. The most common sources are grain, fruit, and sugar, but other sources of fermentable sugars, such as vegetables, are sometimes used as well.

Most cereal grains are composed mainly of starch, which must be converted to sugar before it can be fermented. In the case of modern beer, this is done by malting the grain to encourage the growth of enzymes, then mashing it to allow the enzymes to convert the starch. The resulting sweet wort forms the basis for fermenting, usually by yeast but also by bacteria.

However, there are other ways to extract a fermentation base from grain. One parallel tradition involves baking the grain into bread and then soaking the bread in liquid to use as a fermentation base; this is how Kvass is produced. Chicha may be produced by mashing maize or by chewing it, allowing the enzymes in human saliva to create the same reaction. Sake is made by allowing a mold called koji to grow on rice; this mold creates the enzymes which convert the rice.

Wine made from grapes is the most famous fruit-based beverage, and is usually considered its own category. However, there is very little difference in the fermentation process between grape wine and other fermented fruit beverages. The name of these other beverages varies depending on the fruit used. Fermenting apples gives cider or applewine; fermenting pears gives perry; fermenting most other fruits gives a beverage sometimes called country wine or sometimes simply referred to as "wine".

Various sugars can be used as adjuncts when making other fermented beverages, such as beer and wine. However, any foodstuff high in sugar can be used as the basis for fermentation.

The most famous sugar fermentation is mead, which is a general term for a fermented beverage made with honey. However, other natural and refined sugar sources, such as maple sap or sugar cane or beet, can also form the basis for beverages with similar properties.

Kombucha is a beverage fermented from table sugar with the addition of tea as a flavoring. Toddy is one of many names for a fermented beverage popular in Africa and India made from the sap of certain types of palm tree.

Starchy foods, such as potatoes, cassava, manioc, and other starchy vegetables are also used to make some forms of indigenous fermented beverages. In a pinch, almost any plant material can form the basis of a fermented beverage; one example is Babine, a traditional beverage made in Zaire from the leaves of the avocado tree.

This section is a stub.
Help make this wiki better and contribute some content.

Kombucha is a fermented tea drink originating on the Asian continent. It is made by inoculating a sweetened tea with what is known as a "mushroom" or "SCOBY" (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast). The resulting drink is sour from the acetic acid produced by the culture, and can be drunk still or carbonated. Kombucha may be found in many health food stores and co-op markets, and is commonly imbibed as a digestive system regulator and general pro-biotic beverage.

This section is a stub.
Help make this wiki better and contribute some content.

Kefir (alternately keefir, kephir, kewra, talai, mudu kekiya, milkkefir, búlgaros) is a fermented milk drink that originated in the Caucasus region. It is prepared by inoculating cow, goat, or sheep's milk with kefir grains. Traditional kefir was made in skin bags that were hung near a doorway, and the bag was knocked by everyone passing through the doorway to help keep the milk and kefir grains well mixed.